An optical network uses optical signals to communicate information among the nodes of the network. This information often includes both data (e.g., a file that is being downloaded, packets carrying voices of a phone call, or the contents of a webpage) and signaling (e.g., commands or messages between nodes containing status or setup information). In some optical networks the data may be transferred using a data channel (e.g., a datalink) while the signaling is communicated using a control channel. The connections that carry both the data and the signaling may at times need to be modified, replaced, or rerouted to different nodes. Unfortunately, the Link Management Protocol (LMP) does not currently detect a need to reconfigure a neighbor if a connection exists over the link (e.g., the link has been rerouted from one node to another) or if LMP graceful restart has been enabled. This may create traffic misconnection and stranded resources.